The highly anticipated main event of Noche UFC featuring Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili was one of the most talked-about fights of 2024. ‘Suga’ lost the fight and the bragging rights to be called the bantamweight champion of the world. The bout itself took an unusual turn, and newly surfaced clips may reveal the true reason behind its bizarre nature.
In the opening round of the fight, Merab Dvalishvili unexpectedly began engaging in a conversation with O’Malley’s coach, Tim Welch. This prompted referee Herb Dean to intervene and halt the exchange before restarting the action. Recent video footage has revealed that Welch was attempting to distract the challenger by taunting him during the bout.
Welch is infamous for using such tactics in the middle of the fights to distract O’Malley’s opponents. In the past, when the former champion knocked out Aljamain Sterling, the audio caught Welch shouting and taunting Aljo. While many fans consider this as a ‘dirty’ trick, others believe this is a part of the sport.
UFC just dropped the audio of Sean O’Malley’s coach trying to mess with Merab 😂 pic.twitter.com/7gO51Huiow
— Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) January 9, 2025
This might have worked with Sterling, but it failed flat against Dvalishvili as the ‘Machine’ dominated O’Malley for five rounds. ‘Suga’ had his coach had no answers for the Georgian’s takedowns and ground control. However, the duo remains forward to getting their revenge in the future.
Sean O’Malley talks about his coach Tim Welch
Sean O’Malley and Tim Welch have known for a long time and were close friends before developing into a coach-fighter relationship. They formed a strong bond when O’Malley moved to Montana to train at Welch’s gym, refining his skills. Welch played a crucial role in O’Malley’s striking development, shaping his mindset and contributing significantly to his UFC success.
Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili faceoff before UFC 306 (via Instagram)Welch also compliments O’Malley’s unpredictable and funny personality due to their mutual sense of humor. Both have made several skits to mock their opponents before flights. In an interview, the bantamweight fighter talked about his coach’s ability to read and give suggestions mid-fight.
Tim knows my style, my striking, my jiu-jitsu better than anyone. There are moments in the fight where you can hear Tim yell something and you will see me do it.
Sean O’Malley via Theo Von‘s YT Channel
After the failure at UFC 306, Team O’Malley is eager to get back the bantamweight title. Ahead of UFC 311, they will have a close look at the co-main event bout between Merab Dvalishvili and Umar Nurmagomedov. Welch recently shared his opinion on the fight and predicted that Suga was next in line for the title shot.
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